Empowering food entrepreneurs with high barriers to entry in Sydney. Focusing on refugee, migrant and low-income food entrepreneurs.
External link for FoodLab Sydney
Sydney, NSW 2006, AU
This week our team catered for Canva’s ‘Force for Good’ week in their Surry Hills HQ, providing 650 meals for staff. That’s almost 300kg of flavour. It could not have gone any better, even if we tried! Thanks so much to the wonderful team at Canva for providing us with this amazing opportunity to train our program participants.
FoodLab Catering now stocks the incredible range of Auntie's Ginger Tonics, made by Yarrie Bangura, a refugee from Sierra Leone. One of our team members has described it as if tonic water married ginger, but had serious feelings for tropical pineapple - others have just said it's an incredible product, which is also a great way to describe it. What it actually is, is an African refreshment made from Australian goodness - 100% organic and 96% Australian sourced and made. So, stop reading and head to our website for good catering and good bevs!
It’s a week before spring and we have officially completed our brand new kitchen veggie garden! We wanted to build a garden that would be a safe, peaceful and welcoming place for our entrepreneurs and others from the refugee and migrant community to grow herbs, fruits and vegetable varieties that they don’t see often in Australia. A place of permaculture, where food scraps (and water) are saved, cultures are represented and brought together, chefs return to their ‘roots’, communities are engaged, learning takes place, and sharing is abundant. This will also be a quiet place for our chefs to ‘breathe out’ from the stress of a busy kitchen – something we reckon all hospo staff need! We are so thankful to some amazing companies and people who have donated their time, resources and equipment to make this possible: Studio UC WaterUps® Bates Landscape Lemdell Pty Ltd Challenger Limited @localfoodprint, Palisa Anderson and all of the amazing volunteers who gave their time today!
Grateful for Social Enterprise Council of NSW & ACT (SECNA) for the unending support and advocacy for social enterprises like ours...
Meet our Industry Member FoodLab Sydney. They will have a stall at the Social Enterprise Festival! Come visit to learn more about their cause and try some of their food. FoodLab Sydney is a not-for-profit culinary beacon, lighting the way for food entrepreneurs with high barriers to entry to formalise and grow their businesses. With a focus on supporting the talents of refugees, migrants, Aboriginal Australians, and low-income entrepreneurs, FoodLab Sydney offers a recipe for success by providing the tools, space, and community needed to thrive in the competitive food industry. FoodLab Sydney is dedicated to cultivating a vibrant, local, and inclusive food system, allowing individuals to pursue their culinary passions and achieve financial security. They do this through industry-specific resources, mentoring, sales opportunities and an affordable kitchen space. Stand out programs include their incubator program which guides individuals through the stages of formalising and expanding their food business. Additionally, understanding the needs of its community, FoodLab Sydney recognised the urgent demand for an affordable, registered, shared commercial kitchen space in Sydney—a place that empowers entrepreneurs to scale up their operations. Find more great social enterprises in our Industry Member Directory at https://lnkd.in/g7Mc5paf #SECNA #socialenterprise #businessforgood #peopleandplanetfirst #members #memberspotlight
“Auchma is one of my favourite things. It’s like a croissant, but more savoury, filled with my own creative recipes with wonderful flavours such as saffron, slow-cooked chicken, and eggplant. It is a beautiful snack for lunch and brunch. I really enjoy being in the FoodLab program because FoodLab is not just a program for me, it’s a journey of growth, because I’m working with an amazing team to fill me with confidence, and I am making new friends. I found FoodLab has been a wonderful opportunity for me since my immigration process last year. I’m excited for starting and for people to buy my Auchma.” Fatemeh, Owner of Kookoo Foods
In all the craziness of June we almost forgot to tell you about Refugee Week. Almost. Hopefully it’s never too late to shine the spotlight on talent. We felt privileged to participate in the City of Canterbury Bankstown’s celebration of the rich history of refugee week, where we reflected on those who have left so much behind and started a new chapter here in Sydney. Nadia from Aliana Catering and Malar from Sangee's Kitchen were able to participate in catering the event. We are thankful that food is something that connects us and encourages us to come together in unity, regardless of who we are and where we have come from.
Your support creates this... a flourishing and diverse food business community in Sydney. A place of welcome for refugee, migrant, female and First Nations people. Please donate before end of financial year - only two days away! https://lnkd.in/gG8nmbs4
It’s almost one year since we opened our shared commercial kitchen, providing subsidised and affordable space to more than 30 small business owners. As you know, business conditions are the toughest ever, and our kitchen and support is needed more than ever before. We’re looking to our community to donate and help us continue to empower refugee, migrant, women and First Nations food business owners. Please donate today: https://lnkd.in/gG8nmbs4 We need to raise $40,000 right now to kick-start our new catering business that will provide further practical training, employment and support to our entrepreneurs as their businesses grow. "My business is growing up now - I'm cooking here with my mother more than twice a week now to deliver wholesale across Sydney, and people love my food, but I can’t do it without the FoodLab kitchen. FoodLab has opened up a world of opportunity for my business. I am very proud to lead a women-owned business." - Blanca (Olotl Mexican Cuisine). No matter the size of your tax-deductible donation, every bit helps to create opportunity. Thank you for giving generously and supporting us!
In the largest produce market in Australia, it can be overwhelming for a small business owner to approach Sydney Markets Limited with confidence. This week, the Sydney Markets team gave us that gift, showing us how to approach vendors, find the tricky produce that many of our entrepreneurs from culturally diverse backgrounds struggle to find, and to create efficiencies in the ordering process. You’ll be amazed by how much excitement can be had over fresh zucchini flowers. We also found these enormous pomegranates…
We’re heading into the cosy food season so it’s a great time to introduce one of our newest trainees – Nadia from Aliana Catering. The master of Pakistani cuisine that makes your heart sing, Nadia is at the growth stage of her business and is working to establish herself in Sydney as a caterer. We’re supporting Nadia with affordable kitchen space and business training, but we’ll let her speak for herself. Help create a vibrant and diverse small food business ecosystem in Sydney by considering her for your events and functions. Warm curries, fresh salads, and special comfort foods that will pick you up and plonk you on the mountains of Pakistan.